


Shades Of My Life

by GilornethTheGold



Series: The Hobbit-Modern AUs [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Female Bilbo, Fluff, Frustrated Bilbo, Love at First Sight, Rule 63, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-15
Updated: 2015-06-15
Packaged: 2018-04-04 09:32:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4132522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GilornethTheGold/pseuds/GilornethTheGold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmate AU: In which you have to meet your other half in order to see the world in colors.<br/>Bilba and Thorin are tired of living in a world where everything is black and white. That is until they literally run into each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shades Of My Life

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by 'Green' by 'mylifeissocoollike'
> 
> My first attempt at writing a modern AU. Hope you all like it! Do give me feedback :)

Bilba Baggins was sick and heartily tired of this so called ‘soulmate’ thing. It was beyond stupid. It was the reason why the whole bloody world was still the same, rigidly unchanging, uninteresting shades of black and white for her.

She decided this while being seated on a comfy chair in her favorite coffee shop ‘Silver Oaks’ reading her favorite book. The owner was a lovely old man albeit a bit of a fusser named Dori. He had found his soulmate in her friend Bombur, who owned a fine restaurant over on the Brandywine Street. They could see the world as it was meant to be viewed.

That was precisely the reason why Bilba had begun to avoid Silver Oaks and other public places of late, although she would never admit to it. She used to love coming in here and enjoying the invigorating caffeine-laden air, inhaling in the aromatic scent of grounded coffee beans, steaming mugs of hot chocolate and various espresso blends. She used to love to go to the public library and pick out new books to read. But not anymore.

The thing is that now she could always tell who saw the world in black and white and who didn’t in a place like this. It grated her nerves. She would lose the focus on her book and become absorbed in watching people staring jealously at those who had obviously found their soulmate.

They had accomplished the inevitable goal that she was simply unable to. Bilba wasn’t begrudging the fortunate ones; rather she was envying their ability to view the world with _real colors_ and really considering the possibility of sending a spiritual message up to Eru. Why did you make the world, if only to deprive me of seeing it the way it should be seen? Why have I not met soul mate, my One yet?

Then again, she wasn’t being jealous of the soulmate thing either. Sure, finding her One would be delightful, beyond amazing. So amazing that she could finally see _colors._ She was a Baggins from the Shire. All Baggins shared an undying love of things that grew. Bilba really, really, wanted to plant flowers in her garden. She wanted to plant them and be able to see their blossoms.

_Was that too much to ask?_

Bilba knew that there were countless others deprived of this privilege. Her best friend Primula would often mention this undeniable fact, whenever her aggravation at being colorblind would come up.

_Primula who had found her soulmate and moved into a quaint little house with him and had recently planted a gorgeous garden._

“You thought you would find your One at university at the latest. You didn’t and you still haven’t and you are living alone right now,” Primula elaborated and stroked her hand gently, after a particularly teary outburst. “It’s alright to feel sorry for yourself, Bilba.”

Bilba didn’t want to feel sorry for herself, she did not want sympathy; it was getting pathetic. Pathetic was fitting. She was feeling pathetic as she felt she would surely never find her soulmate.

She would forever be robbed of seeing the world in its true colors. She was fated to this alternate world where everything was the same.

Marking her current page, Bilba got up and walked out of the shop, vowing to herself not to reflect on this topic any further.  
............................

Thorin Durin found himself outdoors even if he had no intention of taking a step out that day.

“Don’t forget to get milk from the corner shop!” Dís yelled out as he left their shared flat. As one might guess if they knew the Durin family well, Thorin’s younger sister was the only person who could coerce him into doing something he detested.

He usually avoided going outdoors for anything other than work and gym. But Dís had never paid any heed to his words. According to her, he was brooding and needed a healthy dose of fresh air. She had made him change out of his wrinkled shirt as its ‘color’ was fading and ordered him to go out using the excuse that they were running out of milk. Dís had a 'feeling', that it was the day. He had glared at her in response.

 _What’s the point of changing my shirt, if I can’t even see what color it was before it faded?_ He had shouted at her.

_"It was a gross shade of green, and now it's a fading gross shade of green." She had said dryly in response._

Thorin walked towards the nearest convenience store, keeping his hopes low. Dis had a feeling almost every week that he was about to meet his soulmate but it still had not happened. He was not a pessimist, he believed in being realistic. He knew that he would find his One when he was fated to, not a minute sooner or later. And the day it _finally_ did occur, he would not be out at the unrelenting persistence of his well-meaning sister.

Thorin was about to turn around a corner when out of blue, another figure collided with him. His immense stature meant that Thorin did not budge an inch, but the other person shrieked, wrapping arms around his chest for support. He grasped hold of their shoulders on instinct, that was when he realized that it was a woman.

She fumbled away after regaining her balance, a rapid string of apologies following. 

"Sorry, gosh, I am so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going and well I should have been looking at the path, and oh did I hurt you-"

Thorin's whole world felt oddly skewed. He couldn't make out a single word of what she was saying, his mind couldn't catch up with the hastily spoken, half-formed sentences. The sun was shining so bright that it blinded his eyes. Everything looked different, unfamiliar.

Before Thorin could find out what exactly was so different, his glance fell on the woman who had walked into him. She was gawking blatantly at him as if she had never seen a human being before. Before Thorin could ask her what was wrong his glance fell on her shining irises. _Now wait a minute-_

“Your eyes, th-they- they-,” she began in a soft, wondrous voice; and Thorin suddenly understood. His world had completely, utterly, changed. It was painted a vibrant shade of different color palettes instead of the dull black and white. He knew why he couldn’t see colors before. You could only truly appreciate the beauty of the world when you saw love of your life for the first time.

“Blue, or so my sister tells me.” A smile tuggied at his lips. "And yours- they are?" It was frustrating the way he could not put name to that marvellous color. 

"Green." His One replied easily, her smile widening. "Though more of a hazel shade, as my mum used to say..."

Thorin nodded, sweeping a lingering glance at her features, eyes a hazel-green, long honey curls that fell over her back, lips a soft petal-pink, skin a lovely pale cream with the lightest splash of freckles on her button nose and over her rosy cheeks. Her stature was much smaller compared to his immense build and she was slightly chubby but undeniably gorgeous, and she was undeniably his.

Thorin looked around at his surroundings then, unspeakable joy pooling in his heart as he confirmed the fact. He could finally see the world as it was meant to be seen. He could suddenly perceive and somehow recognize and put a name to colors he was viewing for the first time.

His eyes went back to the person who had just made this miracle possible.

His One introduced herself in her soft, sweet voice. “I am Bilba, Bilba Baggins. Delighted to make your acquaintance.” She held out a slender hand towards him, eyes crinkling at the corners as her plumped lips curled up in a smile.

“Thorin Durin,” he responded, taking her hand and gently gripping her fingers with his. They fitted like a pair of matching gloves. He felt the slight, nearly non-existent shiver that passed through her at the contact and then that same shiver passed through him.

Words felt inadequate to him at the moment. He did not know how to acknowledge her or the fact that they were each other’s soulmates.

A passing glance at her eyes once more, told him that she understood.

“I feel so strange,” Bilba said, shaking her curls from her face. “It’s like being reborn or transported to a whole new planet.” She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulders. 

“Would you like coffee?” Thorin inquired, still trying to get accustomed to this new world. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never ever let go, afraid that this moment was just a fickle of his imagination. That she would vanish, taking all the color and joys of his life with her.

Bilba giggled and nodded wordlessly, peering around once more; finally taking in her surroundings. Her eyes betrayed a child-like enthusiasm.

Thorin smiled as he steered her towards Silver Oaks. If someone asked what his favorite color was now, he would reply green without hesitation.


End file.
